Exclusive: Two 'Hollyoaks' departures revealed

Hollyoaks is to lose two of its current cast at the end of this year, Digital Spy can reveal.

Jennifer Biddall – who plays Jessica Harris in the Channel 4 soap – will bow out of the show in a dramatic twist in the New Year after her character embarks on an unlikely partnership with Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson).

Meanwhile, Sarah Jane Buckley is also leaving her Hollyoaks' counterpart behind when Kathy Barnes prepares to leave the village in an aptly bonkers storyline.

Speaking exclusively to DS, Producer Bryan Kirkwood said: "Jenny Biddall is in the pipeline to be leaving at the end of the year.

"She steps rather too readily into Zoe's shoes when Darren starts on his winning streak and they form a Bonnie and Clyde partnership which is very funny but she leaves in a dramatic twist in the New Year episode."

He continued: "Sarah-Jane Buckley will also be leaving the show in the coming months. There's a lot happening in with the Barmy Barnes and it's really exciting to give them ever-increasing bonkers storylines. So Kathy will be leaving in a bit of a bonkers story at the beginning of next year, too."

A source added: "Kathy's departure knocks mike for six but it's not long before he strikes up a relationship with one of the younger birds in the village."